Strengthening regional cooperation: Highlights of the 25th SOMTC Meeting and Its Related Meetings in Putrajaya
The 25th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) and Its Related Meetings were successfully convened over three days in Putrajaya, with a total of 200 delegates in attendance. This high-level meeting serves as a key platform for ASEAN Member States to align regional efforts in addressing transnational crimes, including contemporary security challenges such as human trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime.
Day One (24 June 2025): Opening Ceremony and Malaysia's Strategic Recommendations
The meeting was officiated by YB Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, Minister of Home Affairs, with the first day's plenary session chaired by YBhg. Datuk Awang Alik bin Jeman, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) Malaysia.
During this session, ASEAN Member States exchanged insights on best practices, contemporary challenges, and recent policy initiatives in addressing transnational crime. The Malaysian delegation highlighted several notable initiatives, including integrated enforcement at national entry points, monitoring of undocumented migrants, and enhanced collaboration with enforcement agencies.
Malaysia also put forward a proposal to establish a SOMTC Working Group on Anti-Money Laundering, aimed at addressing illicit financial flows in the region, as well as the development of the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime (2026–2035). This proposal received strong support from Member States and is recommended to be tabled at the upcoming ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in September 2025.
The meeting also deliberated on issues concerning funding for security operations and technical cooperation with dialogue partners such as the United Kingdom, UNODC, and ASEAN-ACT. Presentations from these partners provided comprehensive insights into future cooperation on cybercrime, capacity building, and strategic mapping of regional security risks.
The Retreat Session was also held on the first day, where the SOMTC Heads of Delegation exchanged views on expanding the scope of cybercrime and funding for regional cooperation.
Day Two (25 June 2025): Consultations with ASEAN Dialogue Partners
Four (4) SOMTC Consultation Sessions with ASEAN Dialogue Partners were held as follows:
13th SOMTC + Canada Consultation , co-chaired by Lao PDR
13th SOMTC + New Zealand Consultation , co-chaired by Viet Nam
12th SOMTC + India Consultation , co-chaired by Philippines
12th SOMTC + Russia Consultation, co-chaired by Myanmar
Malaysia presented substantive interventions across several aspects of strategic cooperation, including:
Capacity building through technical training and officer exchange programs
Advancing the use of technology in digital crime detection
Developing protocols for cross-border intelligence sharing
These consultation sessions also offered opportunities to explore technology synergies and knowledge exchange, reflecting Malaysia's role in driving digital transformation in law enforcement. The second-day meeting concluded by midday, allowing delegates to engage and strengthen ties through participation in side programs and informal gatherings.
Day Three (26 June 2025): Malaysia's Leadership in Multilateral Consultations
Malaysia demonstrated its continued regional leadership with YBhg. Datuk Awang Alik bin Jeman serving as Co-Chair in two major consultation sessions:
22nd SOMTC + 3 Consultation , involving Japan, China, and South Korea, co-chaired with H.E. Minami Hiroyuki from Japan
22nd SOMTC + China Consultation, co-chaired with H.E. Jun Tan from the People's Republic of China
Several other consultation sessions included:
21st SOMTC + Japan , co-chaired by Singapore
18th SOMTC + Republic of Korea , co-chaired by Thailand
19th SOMTC + Australia , co-chaired by Indonesia
13th SOMTC + European Union , co-chaired by Brunei Darussalam
17th SOMTC + United States, co-chaired by Cambodia
Malaysia reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to strengthening practical cooperation, enhancing information exchange, and building the operational capacity of Member States in addressing rising complexity of transnational crime threats.
Bilateral Meetings: Multi-Layered Diplomacy
Throughout the three-days meeting, Malaysia held several bilateral meetings with its strategic partners, including Singapore, the United States, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Key discussions included:
Harmonisation of international conventions on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants
Development of joint training pathways and regional digital information platforms
Strengthening Regional Resilience in a New Era
The 25th SOMTC Meeting served as a vital platform for strengthening regional security cooperation, in line with ASEAN's vision of a peaceful, resilient, and transnational crime-free region.
Malaysia further consolidated its leadership role in policy coordination, strategic negotiations, and operational cooperation, emphasizing that ASEAN security is a collective responsibility that requires proactive measures and long-term strategic thinking—aligned with the theme of 'inclusivity and sustainability' under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.
This content is provided by Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia (MOHA)
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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